a. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to workpiece locators and more particularly to an end locator which provides a linear indication of workpiece position over a selected range.
b. Description of the Prior Art
Endwise locating of a workpiece which may be used for automatic positioning is known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,984,953; 3,663,189; 3,694,970; and 3,855,734 shows various workpiece locators.
Automatic endwise locating of a workpiece has in the past normally been accomplished by a sliding spindle headstock in combination with a swivel table mounted probing mechanism or by an oil motor driven sliding table in combination with a base mounted probing mechanism. In each of these prior art systems the workpiece location is established by actuation of a limit switch at the desired workpiece location. With these types of location systems, where the workpiece position is determined by a limit switch, there is no need to accurately measure the initial workpiece offset. Extended and/or offset probes can be used to overcome table or workpiece interferences without any regard for the effect on the accuracy of measurement since repeatability of the limit switch actuation is the major concern. Because of this, flexibility is provided in the probe construction and it can be custom designed to suit the particular application.